Complete with masks, sanitizer, and social-distancing floor markings, polling places opened across Wisconsin Tuesday morning amid concerns over COVID-19 spread.
In Rhinelander, four members of the National Guard were sent to help staff the city’s sole polling place at Rhinelander High School. Several poll workers refused to show up over virus concerns.
In-person voting in Wisconsin went forward Tuesday despite a Monday-afternoon attempt by Gov. Tony
Evers to halt it. Legislative Republicans challenged his executive order moving voting to June 9, and, late Monday, the state Supreme Court said Evers didn’t have the power to unilaterally move the election. The election features the Democratic presidential primary, a state Supreme Court race, and several county and local races.
Despite the virus threat, voting in Rhinelander was surprisingly steady, said City Clerk Val Foley. She had to visit the school multiple times to stock it with additional supplies.
Upon entering the school, voters looked down at tape on the floor to stay six feet away from other voters. They were instructed to use hand sanitizer before voting, then were given a single-use pen to fill out their ballot.
Newbold Town Clerk Kim Gauthier reported a “steady turnout” at her polling place, where public works staff had built a plexiglass shield to separate poll workers and voters.
Clerks won’t be allowed to report results until next Monday, under a court order. A judge gave until that date for absentee ballots to arrive. According to a Monday U.S. Supreme Court ruling, those absentee ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday to count.
The state received a record 1.3 million absentee ballot requests.
